Princess and the Pompous
by Megumi-ko
Summary: The meeting of the Generation of Miracles is taking place when suddenly, a small girl speaks up. "Uh-oh! Guys, better listen. He seems really serious." From then on, nothing goes as Akashi Seijuro plans. LEMONS & SPOILERS! Akashi x Original Character. Reviews are appreciated!
1. And a War That Shall Proceed

And a War That Shall Proceed

* * *

His expression grew distasteful as he glared at her confident posture, and how she stood higher up than him. She stood only a few steps on the stairs higher than him, but it was enough to make him feel challenged. He gritted his teeth and scowled at her as their eyes met, his dichromatic eyes paired with her jade colored ones. His ruby red bangs swayed as the wind blew, the silence between them interrupted by his clear displeasure.

"Excuse me, miss?"

"I said that you shouldn't be so conceited and arrogant. Surely someone of your stature should understand? All of them could easily beat you to a pulp. Just look at them. Especially the red-haired guy over there," the girl said, brushing back her light pink bangs that had blown astray. She turned her expression to Kagami Taiga, who stood behind the ruby-haired boy.

The other members of the Generation of Miracles stood with awe. They blinked with wide eyes, confused at the current situation, and astounded at the very fact that someone had the guts to stand up to the Generation of Miracles' leader, Seijuro Akashi. Though no one had ever defied him before, people who thought about it were just too afraid. They either respected or feared his contemptuous attitude enough to not fight him.

* * *

_ "Sorry, but can you leave?" Akashi asked, glaring down at the extra member Kuroko had brought with him. He'd wanted it to be a private meeting between all the members of the Generation of Miracles. And yet Kuroko had dragged along a member from Seirin's team. Akashi lowered his eyes displeasingly._

_Then another voice came from behind the extra member, from a much larger man who Akashi didn't completely recognize. "Come on, that's cold. Don't leave him out of the loop," he chuckled, placing a hand on the team mate's shoulder. His red eyes were dark and looked demanding, but it didn't faze Akashi; he just raised his eyebrows slightly in interest._

_"So you're Akashi. Glad to meet you," the man had said, and smiled defiantly at Akashi._

_'Ah, that's Kagami Taiga,' thought Akashi as he remembered he'd seen and heard of how the man had looked previously. The memory had just raced across his mind._

_"Shintaro, can I borrow those scissors for a bit?" Akashi had asked, to which Midorima asked, "What do you need them for?"_

_"My hair has been bothering me for a while. I was thinking about cutting it," Akashi said, taking the red-handled scissors in his grasp. "But before that, you're Kagami-kun, right?"_

_Before Kagami could answer, Akashi had jabbed right where Kagami's head was previously, missing him by a single hair as he slid to the side in a quick reaction. He'd been able to graze his cheek slightly, but the intent to scar or harm was there._

_All Kagami managed to say was "Whoa!" as the blade of the scissors whizzed past his face. He staggered, taken aback by what Akashi's actions. He, as well as the two other Seirin team members were left in a shock._

_"Hmm, good job dodging that. Just for that, I suppose I'll forgive you this time. But there won't be a next time." Akashi said, glancing down at the scissors in hand. He sliced the air twice with a blasé expression. _

_Akashi had raised the scissors, preparing to cut his hair as he said, "If I say leave, then leave."_

_But before he could do so, a small girl had laughed from the top step of the stairs, of which she'd been sitting on. She had been listening and watching intently, and hadn't missed a beat. "Uh oh! Guys, better listen. He looks like he's totally serious," she blurted as her smile widened and her sarcastic tone alerted Akashi's attention._

* * *

Her delicate smile fit her small face as she stepped down the stairs and stood only a foot from Akashi. Lips pursed, she looked into the eyes of Akashi with insolence. He no longer was facing the Generation of Miracles or Kagami; his full attention was focused on the girl.

"Excuse me, but who are _you_?"

She pouted a bit, "Aw, so you don't remember me? We played shogi together. And I beat you, don't you remember?"

Recognition flashed across his face, and irked by her words, he glared even more intensely at her. "Hoshikawa Sakura."

Undeterred by his angered gaze, she smiled a little wider and kept her eyes even with his. "That's me."

"I don't think someone who is barely five feet should be informing me about my stature," he snapped at her.

"And I don't think that you should act so conceited. What makes you so much better than everyone here?" she asked, innocently.

"I shouldn't have to explain myself to someone like you. Now, leave. This is a private meeting between the former members of my basketball team—

"Oh, so you don't have any more control over them then," Sakura turned her head to the side slightly with a questioning expression. "Since you're, you know, not their captain anymore." Obviously filled with confidence herself, Akashi began to grow impatient with her antics.

His eyebrows twitched with blatant frustration as his gaze bore into the girl's eyes, which to anyone else would've made them squirm and feel uncomfortable. Yet she stood without reacting to his passive threatens.

"Look, we're having a meeting that you and your little comments weren't invited to. So please, I'll help you find your mommy in a minute, just leave us be for a couple minutes, _okay sweetheart_?" Akashi replied, his last sentence full of sarcasm. Akashi turned back to face Kagami, attempting to ignore Sakura.

She rolled her eyes with a smile. "Like you're one to talk, what are you, barely taller than me?"

Akashi whirled around at this, and with intense anger, strolled up to her, holding the scissors at her neck. He pressed them up to her jugular, the cold, sharp metal against her skin. "You need to leave. Now."

"Says the one who acts so high and mighty, but can't even beat me at shogi."

Akashi was officially filled to the brim with rage, and he pulled back his arm with the scissors in hand, swinging forward at the girl with speed. Before he even could slice off a single hair, she ducked down, swinging her leg under his, dropping him to the ground with a thud. He let go of the scissors as he fell, and they skid across the pavement. Sakura stood up and dusted off her skirt, placing her hands on her hips with a triumphant smile.

"Honestly, I expected _your highness _to dodge that, but I suppose you're nothing but talk, huh?" she said, flipping her shoulder-length hair with a smirk.

As she waltzed over to the scissors and picked them up, the whole group assembled stared with even more surprise. Kise leaned over to Midorima, and whispered, "_Have you ever seen Akashi like this before…? And who's the chick?"_

To which Midorima replied, "_I don't think that's what matters. The point is that his ass was just kicked by a girl eight inches shorter than him."_

Akashi sat up, one hand supporting his weight, and the other gripping his head from the pain of hitting the concrete. Sakura dropped the scissors into the pocket of her jacket, grinning with the pride of her success.

"You little…" Akashi moaned, rubbing at where his head had hit.

"So I'll leave now, just don't forget me next time," Sakura said, raising a hand to wave goodbye. Suddenly, she stopped and turned on her heel, looking back at Akashi again. "These are for you," she said as she threw a pack of bandages at the ground next to him. "For as long as you know me, you'll need them." She winked, grinning with her trademarked grin, and headed off again.

Akashi's glare was strong and intense, as it bore into her back. He just watched with anger seething from his very presence as she strode off, his pride tucked away into her pockets. He regained his composure and stood up, dusting off his pants and fixing his collar as a cover-up, despite that it hadn't even been messed with.

"Well then, I'll get going. We're done for the day," Akashi said, attempting to play it off.

Everyone stared incredulously at him until Aomine interrupted the silence with, "Akashi, don't give me that. You made us come here just for that?!"

"No, actually I came to check something, but everyone seems to still remember our oath," Akashi replied, smirking with pride, as if he still had any to cope with. "Next time we meet, we'll be in battle." He then turned and headed up the stairs, back to the main building and to catch up with his team for the Winter Cup Tournament.

* * *

After his match of the day, Akashi decided to head home by himself. He was used to going home by himself, and he liked it better that way. His solitude meant a lot to him. He always kept to himself, and wasn't particularly close to any of his team members, or anyone for that matter.

When he got to the front door of his apartment, he reached into his pocket searching for his keys. To his surprise, his keys weren't there. He rummaged through his other pockets, trusting that he hadn't left them inside or dropped them somewhere, but to no avail. He didn't have his keys, and for once in his life, Akashi would have to request help from someone else. He sighed inwardly, but kept a nonchalant expression.

He had gotten his apartment quite recently, so keeping track of his keys was a habit that he'd need to work on. Before, he'd lived in luxury with his father in a single mansion. He moved out due to his father's recent affair with a woman that Akashi rather disliked. She was everything he hated in women, and he saw his father's "new love" as lust with a whore he'd picked up off the streets. For once in his life, Akashi looked down on his father's decision with a contemptuous attitude. He'd requested to move out, without giving a specific reason, and had been given permission to do so, along with payment for the apartment. It was a rather nice apartment, and without having to pay the expenses, Akashi felt rather at home in the apartment by himself.

He debated on whether he should go get the spare from the landlady. Then he remembered he'd already gotten them from her once before, and placed them under the front door mat in case of losing them again. Akashi lifted it, sure that he'd find them, but was met with the sight of clean concrete. His eyebrows furrowed. '_Did I lose those too_?'

But then he heard noises coming from inside one room over. His eyes fixed on the door next to his, and the thought of his keys completely escaped his thoughts.

_'So someone moved in? The room was vacant yesterday. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to introduce myself,'_ Akashi thought, considering it was only rational, and he had the time, obviously.

Akashi was suddenly reminded of the bad memory of being embarrassed today in front of all of his comrades. He scowled. '_If I ever see that girl again, she's going to get it._'

He'd been having flashbacks of that moment all day, and every time it sent his blood boiling. Several times he'd realized he'd been giving his trademark death glare at some passerby and had secretly wished he hadn't done so, as they'd given him strange and fearful looks.

Akashi thought for a moment, and reconsidered. _'Well, it isn't worth my time anyways; her existence means nothing to me.'_

He knocked on the door, and leaned back against the railing, his hands in his pockets. He realized it was late, and that he probably shouldn't have knocked, but then he heard the sound of feet thumping on the ground as someone attempted to reach the door. "Hang on a sec!" said a muffled voice, and he relaxed slightly.

Akashi directed his attention at the neon city lights. They looked beautiful during the nighttime in winter. It was cold out, so he buried his nose in the collar of his uniform. He watched as small snowflakes fell and melted on the stairway leading down to the first level of apartments.

As he waited, he noticed he hadn't had the chance to cut his bangs earlier. "Ah, right." The purpose of the scissors had been for that, but then he had lost his chance to the latest bane of his existence, the one girl who he despised the most at this point. He took his hands out of his pockets, crossing his arms, and inwardly sighed for the second time. He could see his breath in front of his face, and silently wished he had a scarf on.

The door opened slightly, the chain link between the wall and the door still connected. The lights were dim, and Akashi could only make out a small female figure. He quickly fixed his collar and approached the door with his hand held out. "Hello, you must be the new neighbor. I'm—

Before he could finish, the door came fully open and the young female looked more than just familiar to Akashi. It was the girl who ruined his day. It was the sole girl who'd stolen his pride.

It was Hoshikawa Sakura.

She stared silently, her eyes widening. Her lips parted slightly in surprise. Her short hair was messy and looked as if she'd been woken up by the doorbell. She was in only her panties and a tank top, her eyes almost drugged with recent sleep. "Aka—

Before she could finish his name, Akashi threw himself inside, and pinned her to the wall right inside, closing the door with one swift motion. He locked it promptly, keeping her arms pinned above her. She struggled and began to call out, her eyes wide, and Akashi quickly covered her mouth with one hand, keeping the other hand tight on her wrists. He leaned in close, keeping his face mere centimeters from hers.

Her expression was fearful and her eyes displayed utter and sudden shock. And Akashi was reveling in it. However, his expression was rather detached with all the anger held solely in his fierce gaze. Though he was pissed, his features didn't show much as he swung his leg in between hers with a loud "bang" as it collided with the wall. He moved in towards her, his warm breath on her face. His knee trailed up the wall until it was pressed against the soft underside of her panties between her legs.

"It seems we can get personal this time, _miss Hoshikawa_," he said, a slight smile now playing on his lips.

Her eyes glared at him slightly from a sideways view as he pressed his lips to her ear. "You don't know who I really am. You might've beaten me in shogi, and you may have humiliated me today, but I won't let you win anymore."

"_You _won't_ win anymore_," Akashi added, whispering.

Sakura shivered and Akashi saw the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. He grew a devilish grin, pleased to have such an effect on her.

"So? What do you say, miss Hoshikawa? Will you perhaps attempt to fool with me again?" His devilish grin got to the point that his sharp incisors were visible.

He pressed harder against her, his eyes indulged in the sight of seeing her suffer. Her gaze seemed to calm over time, just growing more irritated and scared as time passed. She struggled more, but it was just fanning the flames. The more she struggled, the more roused and excited Akashi became.

It also restored his pride that she wasn't as strong as she'd seemed earlier. She had been lucky with the kick she'd demonstrated earlier. He assumed that her arms were fragile, but her legs strong, or that she simply relied entirely on luck. But he was for certain she wouldn't be able to escape his grasp at this rate.

"Miss Hoshikawa…" He purred into her ear. A slight groan of annoyance came through his hand in response, and he laughed. "You are really hopeless now, aren't you?"

His eyes scanned downwards, at her legs below. In the angle she was positioned in, she'd fall if she attempted to kick him, or knee him in his most vulnerable place. He'd also anticipated it, and was surprised she hadn't thought of it, but reconsidered his thoughts because he could do without her harming him.

After her eyes grew dark with a hateful expression, Akashi finally removed his hand from her mouth and pinned it on the wall next to her head lightly. Her expression was hurt in a way, but also angry. She held back tears in the way her eyes watered up, and Akashi seemed more content at the view. It was fear in a sense, that made her feel this way and look this way, and the fact he was in control of those emotions brought satisfaction to his eyes.

"What is it, _princess_?" he asked with dominant sarcasm in his tone.

"What are you doing here?" Sakura snapped at him, her teeth in a slight snarl.

"I live next door, sweetheart. Now, you should be lucky since I'm being lenient. Normally, I wouldn't give two excuses in a single day," Akashi said with ease.

"An excuse? I don't need one, I don't feel sorry for what I did," she growled back.

Akashi lowered his eyebrows and stared at her with rage building up. "Tch. Bratty girl, you don't even know who you're talking to, I bet."

She scowled at him, watching his expression turn darker and more serious. "I don't care who or what you are. I don't think you should be in _my_ house, threatening _me_."

He shrugged. "I only came to warn you that no one speaks to me like that. While I must commend you for your bravery, I can only honestly say I would have to harm you if you got in my way again. So do yourself a favor, alright?"

He leaned to her ear again, speaking lightly. "I wouldn't be so nosy, miss Hoshikawa. You might learn something you don't want to."

Sakura looked up at him with a confused and anticipating look. She bit her bottom lip in slight frustration and fear, her gaze slightly uneasy. She glanced several times at something near the door, but only enough to irritate Akashi and interest him. He raised an eyebrow, and noticing that, she reacted.

"You'll probably need those," she said, gesturing at the small round table near the door. Rolling her eyes, she somewhat regained her composure.

He glimpsed over at the nearest counter where his spare keys were, and reached for them, tucking them away in his pocket. He clicked his tongue. "It's not nice to steal, kitten."

She smirked, "I figured you deserved it. Besides, everyone leaves their spares under the mat."

He kept looking down at her, and then lowered his face to hers, their eye level even. His sudden expressionless face stared into hers as she tried to keep calm. Her face began to look a mixture of worried and fearful. Her heart was beating quickly, and Akashi felt more excited the faster it beat. His began racing with hers, but for a more twisted reason. He moved so close that their breath rested on one another's lips, and rested in that position for a moment. In the dead silence, their eyes remained locked.

"Boo," he breathed, smirking as she jumped slightly in response. He released her wrists and pushed himself off the wall.

He turned and unlocked the door, while Sakura stayed in the same position, inspecting her reddened wrists, rubbing at the painful marks of his hand across them. She glared with suspicion as Akashi opened the door, turning back only once to look at her.

"Goodnight, _princess_."

And then he was out the door, and prepared to forget about the existence of Hoshikawa Sakura as he entered his own apartment, unaware that he'd just stirred up a war he'd never forget.

* * *

Holding her wrists tightly, Sakura made sure she locked her door tightly so that the demon living next door to her couldn't return. She backed up and slid down the door, landing in a sitting position.

It was hard enough to take the fact that had been seen in her underwear, but to come inside and threaten her like so? It made her blood boil.

"Who does he think he is? Seriously…I just don't get him," she said, pulling up her knees and hugging them tightly. "I hate people like him the most."

She stared into the floor panels of the hallway, thinking in silence until it was broken by the sound of the shower running next door. Considering it was coming from her left, it was probably Akashi. She cringed at the thought of living next door to him for who knows how long. She had only just moved in and yet life here seemed worse than back home.

'_Oh, Mom. You warned me of people here, but who knew I'd end up living next to a dark prince from hell?_' Sakura thought as she buried her face in her knees.

She remembered her life back at home and sighed. "You wouldn't want me there, anyways, Mom. You'd probably just run off with your boyfriend, right?"

After her dad had passed away, her mom had waited a couple years and then found a lovely boyfriend. After just a few months of dating, her mother began to disappear more and more often, and came home intoxicated or didn't come home at all some nights. Sakura began to assume that she and her boyfriend had been going out a lot, but the house was always left to just her and her older brother. Rarely did her mother leave notes as to where she was going, and several times she'd taken a vacation away without notifying either one of them. Shopping and cleaning had to be done by the two of them alone, and paying the rent for their large apartment weighed heavily on the shoulders of her older brother, Kyou. Sakura was only fifteen at the time, and so getting a job was impossible. For that reason, she learned to cook and do laundry to take some of the burden off of Kyou. It wasn't lonely until her brother had decided to leave for college. She remembered the day he began packing very clearly.

* * *

_"You want to move in with me, Sakura? I wouldn't mind keeping you with me," her brother offered, very aware of the circumstances at home._

_She had thought over the offer for only a few short minutes until she declined. "Sorry, but I don't think I should, Kyou. Thanks for the offer, but I should probably stay here, in case Mom needs me." She smiled and feigned her happiness. Sakura despised her mother's new habits that she was picking up from her new boyfriend. And now that Sakura had turned sixteen, she could get a job and fend for herself._

_Kyou frowned on the idea. "The bills and debts are growing. I can't leave you to live on your own here."_

_Sakura knew that she probably couldn't pay off what their mother was leaving them behind, so she bit her lip and continued to protest. "Well, it's not that I don't want to go with you, but I've been thinking lately."_

_Kyou's expression changed and intrigued, he asked, "What about?"_

_"I think I want to move to the city. For education purposes," Sakura sighed as she waited for her brother's rejection. She kept her eyes to the ground._

_But instead, he remained silent for a few moments. He just blinked and furrowed his eyebrows, and she watched with a hopeful expression._

_"I mean, I want to go to a better high school. I…I've been thinking seriously about this, and I want to get a good education, live a happy life, and help pay Mom's debts so that she just retire." She ran a hand back through her hair, "I don't exactly want to live out my life unprepared for the burden that Mom has so graciously arranged for us."_

_Kyou stared at her then, long and hard. Sakura held an arm behind her back with her other hand, biting her lip with nervousness. She already felt she knew what Kyou thought about this._

_However, he only sighed, scratching the back of his neck. "It could be done, I suppose. I just hate the idea of you living on your own. But I do think you're capable and old enough. I think it's just me being big brother Kyou." He chuckled slightly._

_Sakura had looked incredulously at his face, searching for the look she had expected, and the words she had feared. Unable to find any rejection at the topic in his expression, she grinned ear to ear and brought him into a tight hug. "Kyou, I love you!"_

_He chuckled some. "I love you too, kid."_

_When they released the hug, he ruffled her hair with one hand and looked down at her, smiling. "Tell you what. Pick out a school, and then we'll discuss the expenses and how we'll pay for it. Then you get your stuff together, we'll leave tomorrow."_

* * *

The trip had been rather rushed, but Sakura knew which one she would get into. She hadn't told Kyou until that night that she had already tested to get into several high schools, one being the prestigious Rakuzan High School.

She'd picked it for the education, but also for the shogi club they had. It was after all, her favorite game, and she topped everyone at it. Her father, Hoshikawa Teiji, had taught her at a young age how to play, and all of her childhood memories were wrapped around shogi. As a pro player, her father was very talented and she had supposed he passed down his ability to her over time, without her even noticing. She treasured it as her only real memories of her father.

As a young and talented player, her mother had ushered her into entering shogi competitions. She didn't win much at first, but eventually came out on top in every match. It was another way for her to earn money as well. However, the prize money would usually go to her mother's newly acquired drinking habits and casino visits.

Sakura had sheepishly told him about her secret high school entries, and Kyou had been sort of confused, but because it was her, he wasn't all that surprised. They agreed that she would stay with him in his new apartment until an acceptance letter came in the mail. The first to come was from Rakuzan, and both Sakura and Kyou had rejoiced at her accomplishment. Sakura hadn't wanted to waste any more time, so Kyou helped her pack and she left the following Saturday for Kyoto.

She'd gotten to her apartment today, which was Sunday, and begun unpacking early in the morning. When she'd gone to introduce herself to her neighbors, no one answered their door, so she figured they were all out at the time. She'd taken all morning to open up boxes and move furniture in with the help of Kyou, and he'd left about midday, when everything was in place. They'd done a swift job, but considering she had so little furniture, it wasn't a huge task.

The rest of the day, she'd been checking out popular local sites, when she'd seen the Winter Cup Tournament. It was bustling with excitement, and she had been interested, so she picked up a flier, and went inside. However, the matches wouldn't start for a while, so she was venturing around the area when she spotted a large group of attractive boys around her age.

She approached them, and unbeknownst to them, she sat on the stairs and simply listened. All of the boys were very tall, and each wore a uniform for the school they were representing in the match. One boy noticed her; he had blue hair and blue eyes and a very melancholic expression on his face. He appeared to be the shortest of them all. She smiled, but got no emotion in return.

Then she'd seen Akashi standing a little ways ahead of her. At first she didn't identify him, but when he turned his head enough for her to make out his features, her eyes went wide with recognition.

'_I wish I'd never said anything_,' she thought to herself, cradling her legs close to her body. '_If I just hadn't opened my mouth, Akashi wouldn't even remember me, and I wouldn't be in this mess._'

Her facial expression calmed as she remembered the first time they met. It was at a shogi competition in Tokyo, and the prize money was a lot, so even her mother showed up. She was a little nervous, but when she got to the final match, she was facing the rather pompous and proud Seijuro Akashi.

* * *

_He had a very serious expression, and didn't seem at all fazed as he sat and bowed lightly to her. She had sat then, bowed, and the match was on. She would frequently catch glances at him before he made a move, as he was rather attractive and his calm attitude interested her. At one point, he had caught her staring at his eyes._

_"Oh, sorry," she mumbled, face flushed as she looked back down at the game board sheepishly._

_"It's alright," he had said, adding, "It's strange because they're two different colors, right?"_

_She looked up, his grin strangely calm and warming. "It's actually natural. I suppose you could call me dichromatic. Well, it's actually called herterochromia, but no matter. " He chuckled charmingly._

_He looked pensive for a moment before he added, "I was often bullied for it, and many of kids told me they were scary." _

_"…I actually think they're very pretty," Sakura had blurted out immediately, flushing a deeper pink as she looked up at him with a slight smile._

_In return, he'd smiled back. "Thank you."_

* * *

Then as soon as he'd lost the match, he'd given her a glare that could kill and disappeared before she could even thank him for playing with her. She had asked around to see if anyone had seen him, but it seemed that he'd already left in a complete rage.

'_So the look on his face, the attitude…must've all been a façade_,' she thought, watching her feet intently on the floor as her toes flexed.

She rolled her eyes and smirked lightly. '_He probably expected to win, and was just trying to be nice as a way to belittle me. Little did he know_,' she reflected, yawning.

After a couple more minutes of sitting with her knees up close in silence, she stood up and brushed off her legs, and was reminded she only had panties on. She sighed. It was great to move in and have your new neighbor be a demon boy from hell, and see you in just your panties.

Sakura rubbed her temples as she contemplated on good things. She remembered the look he'd given when he'd seen his spare keys on her side table, and laughed to herself. '_Oh, that was a treat_.'

When she'd gotten home from viewing a bunch of famous and popular local sites, she had accidentally tripped over his doormat, and sent it flying backwards. As she went to fix it, she noticed the keys under it and the tag attached to them, labeled "Seijuro Akashi."

Sakura had hesitated only for a slight few seconds before pocketing them, and placing the mat back where it was. When she went back into her apartment, she'd thrown them on the side table and forgotten about them until he came to her front door.

She'd even forgotten that he'd lived there at that point, and much of her shock had stemmed from that when he first showed up. Though, once he'd said "I live here," she had recalled the keys and calmed some, sure then that he wasn't some sociopath that tracked her down specifically to threaten her.

'_Scratch that, he's still a sociopath_,' she reconsidered, running her fingers through her hair.

As she stretched with a yawn, she went down the hallway, bare feet meeting the cold, wooden floor. Her mouth felt fuzzy and gross, so she went in the bathroom to brush her teeth for the second time.

As she watched her movements in the mirror, she evaluated her day. '_Got my stuff unpacked. So that's done. And I went to explore the nearby area and popular places around here. I also turned in my enrollment papers, so that's over with_.'

She scowled, thinking, '_And, of course I almost forgot. I got involved with the sweetest sociopath there is. What a joy my day was._' Sakura rolled her eyes and spit out her toothpaste, letting the sink run and wash it out.

Her jade green eyes met her reflection in the mirror as she smirked at herself, nefariously. '_And boy does he not know what's coming his way._'


	2. A Match To Look Forward To

A Match To Look Forward To

* * *

A strong scent of toast and eggs in the early morning wafted into his room, awaking him from the deep slumber he'd been in since the hot shower he took the night before. His ruffled red hair was a muss and his eyes opened blearily as a yawn found its way outside of his mouth.

"Breakfast?" Akashi wondered out loud. He sat up slowly, reaching up with his muscular arms, stretching them vigorously. The white sheets of his bed slid off of him, revealing his nude upper body, his lightly tanned skin glowing from a night of good rest.

He shivered, realizing that he'd probably left a window open the night before. Standing up slowly, he slid off the bed in only his boxers and with drowsy eyes and a never ending fit of yawns, he made his way into the living room. He focused on the sliding glass door to the balcony and blinked a couple times, adjusting to the lighting. It was open, to his surprise; he never usually forgot to close it. But lately, he'd found it to be a reoccurring theme to forget anything.

The chilly, crisp air blew at him as he made his way to the door to shut it. Before he did, he noticed the scent of toast and eggs grew stronger, and stepped outside for a moment. Taking a lungful of the appetizing odor, he turned to his left and his eyes met with that of Hoshikawa Sakura's.

Before his face even turned irritated by the sight of her, she quickly pulled out her cell phone and it flashed with a 'snap' noise just by a slight tap of her finger. She was sliding it back into her pocket as she smirked at him, "Good morning sleepyhead."

His eyes were shocked from the bright flash, and he blinked a few times. He noticed she was wearing the same shirt as the night before, but with a pair of shorts on. Guess she wouldn't make the same mistake around him again.

He regained his composure and snapped, "Yes, good morning to you as well, _monster girl_. What was that, blackmail you just took?"

She rolled her eyes as she turned to pick up a plate with some buttered toast and scrambled eggs on the side. "And if it was?" she asked innocently. She was smiling delightedly, almost like she was holding back laughter. "Nice boxers, though. Seriously."

Akashi pried his eyes away from the well-cooked breakfast and glared at her. He didn't bother to look down; he knew he'd worn his boxers with rubber ducks printed all over a blue background, which his step-mother-to-be had bought for him. It just added to his hatred for her really, and now this moment made him wish he'd thrown them out. He snarled as he turned sharply and slammed the glass door behind him, rushing inside to put clothes on.

When he'd gotten dressed in his lounge clothes, he slipped into the bathroom, grabbed his toothbrush, and brushed his teeth as he went and got his cell phone from the pocket in his bag. He'd received several text messages from Midorima, to which he disregarded and checked the clock. It was about nine fifteen, and Akashi was surprised he'd slept so late. He normally woke up as the sun rose so he could fit in a jog every morning.

'_At least I don't need the time for preparation for the next match. If it's Shutoku, they'll be strong, but we'll have the upper hand. I won't lose_,' he thought, naturally smug about his own abilities.

He looked back through the texts from Midorima after he spit in the sink and rinsed his toothbrush, placing it back in its place in the cup on the counter. He turned off the light as he left the bathroom, strolling into the living room and setting himself down on the couch.

'Want to meet at the usual place?' read one of the texts. The next one said, 'I have a few things I want to talk to you about, so I'll be there around noon.'

He continued looking at the texts, the next one reading, 'I called but you didn't pick up, so I'm figuring you're ignoring me. Just meet me there. I'll wait even if you're late, as usual.'

Akashi rubbed his temples with one hand and used the other to scroll through other notifications on his phone. He had one missed call from Midorima, but he hadn't left a voicemail. As for the amount of notifications in total, he had very little. There was also a text from Reo regarding the upcoming game in a couple days, which Akashi skimmed over. Other than that, he'd had little contact with the outside world.

Akashi noticed the clock on his phone now said ten thirty, so he decided he'd spare the time with meaningless thoughts. He didn't have any plans for today anyways, considering that school was called off for his basketball team due to the Winter Cup. It was mostly for those staying in hotels in Tokyo for the duration of the Winter Cup, which he hadn't done just purely because he enjoyed the luxury of his own apartment. Of course, it meant a whole three and a half hours would be spent going back and forth, but he didn't mind. The train rides were calming, and he slept on some of them. He also rather enjoyed the luxury of his own apartment, and imagining staying with one of his own teammates, especially Kotaro, gave him a headache. It wasn't that he disliked them, but he wasn't the type to party, and he assumed they would do something similar to that.

His coach had thoroughly rejected his idea, but Akashi, not one to back down, had only listened to his preach and responded with, "No, I'm fine." He only planned on staying the night before the tournament match that he'd be involved with, considering his team would probably do a lot of preparation that night.

'_I should've gotten a room to myself there, just to avoid monster girl,_' he thought, his eyebrows lowering with a tinge of repugnance.

His face grew more pensive as he looked up towards the ceiling. '_I'd completely forgotten about her. I thought I'd never see her again, and that I'd let go of the fact that I'd actually lost a game of shogi to her. But now she chooses to appear in my life again.'_

* * *

_Akashi had sat with legs crossed and placed his arm on one leg, holding up his face with his palm. He yawned a couple of times, waiting for her to make her move._

_He glanced up at the clock a couple times, just to see how much time had passed. Several people still sat in the room to watch the final match, despite the fact they'd been disqualified already. Some looked dejected, and others appeared rather at ease. Everyone stayed quiet, however, as this was common courtesy._

_It was funny to him, the vast and differentiating crowd of those who had entered the competition. Most of them were older men or women, and there were a few that were grandparent age. A group of teenage boys were huddled in the corner now chatting quietly, occasionally receiving darting angered looks from traditional players that sat silently, and some of the game administrators._

_"Checkmate!" Hoshikawa Sakura called out suddenly, her final move in place and, a proud smile spreading on her face._

_Akashi had literally dropped the pieces in his hand at this remark, sheer shock easily viewable on his face. "I…surrender," he managed to get out, exasperated. He looked at the game board, sure of a mistake, but there were none. She'd actually won, fairly and hands down._

_He couldn't believe it. Loss was never something he was afraid of. He'd never lost before, in all the years of his life. Granted, he was only barely a junior high student, but still. He never thought he'd lose the game he reigned best in. He wondered if he hadn't been paying enough attention. Was it possible he'd overlooked her abilities?_

_His glare turned dark and angry as he looked towards her, across the room with a wide grin across her face. He figured her family had come to cheer her on, as an older woman came up to her, grabbing her in a large hug. Another figure came up to her with a proud look, but this one male, and much younger._

_A pang of pain came to his chest, and he pretended it didn't exist. He didn't want to admit it, but he did feel a little hurt by the lack of his family. Never once had his father offered to watch him play, and never once had his father shown up just as a surprise to any basketball game. In primary school, Akashi had learned this, and from then on didn't expect his father to show anymore. He rarely showed to meetings required, such as parent-teacher conferences, and therefore Akashi was sent home with letters instead, which he regularly left in his father's office for him to sign and approve when he had the time. He'd accepted that his father was a busy man, but when others exemplified family love to a certain extent, it had always struck deep with him. Though, he still never showed it, as it would be showing a weakness, and he didn't like the thought of that._

_Akashi quickly cleared his face and mind, and stood, pocketing the king piece before he did so. As he turned to leave, several of the game administers attempted to stop him, when he turned to them and just gave them a long, serious look with glaring eyes. They'd backed off, and stepped out of his way, without saying anything, and he passed them devoid of hesitation._

_He'd turned and left the building without even a simple "Good game," escape his lips. He vowed never to look back, to never allow himself to lose to someone in those circumstances again, especially not her._

* * *

He looked down at the shogi game board in front of him on his coffee table. He looked at the pieces laying out, some on the table, others strewn across the board. "Little does she know I can't lose anymore. I'm always right, and I know I won't lose to her again," he said aloud, grinning to himself as he picked up one of the king pieces. "Just wait, Hoshikawa Sakura. You may have gotten a head start at humiliating me, but I will make you fully regret doing so." His grin grew ear to ear with confidence.

The clock now read nine forty-five, so Akashi pocketed the king piece, and stood up, a second stretch taking hold of him as he yawned, for what felt like the millionth time. It was one reason to not sleep in this late, although the sleep had been nice, considering he'd gotten home late from the train ride.

His stomach growled, and he rubbed it slightly, pawing at his bangs slightly. He hoped Midorima would pay for his meal. If not, he figured he could just leave early, and then Midorima would be forced to.

* * *

Sakura finished her meal out on the balcony and had sat herself down, now playing video games vigorously on her couch. She had pocky sticking out of her mouth, the chocolate part melting onto her mouth as it sat warming on her lips. Her fingers jabbed and pounded on the buttons on the controller, her thumb on one joystick, twirling it with each movement on the screen. Eventually her cell phone rang, which was sitting next to her on the couch. She jumped with surprise, the pocky snapping and the smaller, chocolate part falling down into her shirt.

She answered it, searching for the end of the pocky in her shirt. "Yes, hello?"

"Hey," the voice replied, the tone calming her nerves.

"Oh, Kyou? What's up?" she asked.

"I just wanted to check in on you, thought it'd get me big brother points," he chuckled. "But really, is everything alright?"

Sakura's eyebrows furrowed as she searched the bottom half of her shirt for the missing piece of pocky, whispering '_Aha!_' before she replied. "Oh yeah, everything is fine. Honestly Kyou, you just left yesterday. Not much can change in that amount of time."She threw the piece into the trashcan a few feet away, pouting when she missed and it landed on the wood floor.

"Yeah, but I'm worried for my little sister. Is that so wrong?" He said, Sakura rolling her eyes in response.

"Sure, but I'll be fine, seriously. I want you to focus on your own problems for once," she began, adding, "I mean, the college you got into is really nice. Don't waste your time while you're there!"

"You _are_ a problem of mine," he drawled, sternly. "Besides, do you think Mom would even bother to call?" He said, hesitating after he'd said the last sentence. "I'm sorry, Sakura, I—

"No, don't worry about it," she said, sighing and biting her lip as her gaze became dejected. Of course her mom wouldn't call. She didn't expect it, considering her mother was either always sleeping or drinking or spending money. The only time she'd ever actually seen her mother as her own mother was when she came to the shogi competition when she'd faced Akashi and won.

Sakura could hear the sound of wind blowing and figured he'd gone outside. Kyou's voice was drowned out by the many others that ruled over his. Kyou spoke up over them, "Sorry Sakura, I have to go now. But give me a call sometime yourself, alright?"

"Yeah, alright," she said, hanging up. She dropped her phone back on the couch and looked back at the paused screen.

She sighed in boredom. She wouldn't have anything to do for today, since she'd officially be starting school tomorrow, so she decided to play it off and just sit around. But now the idea seemed unexciting, and she played with her toes as she thought about what to do.

"I'm _bored_," she called, extending her body over the couch in an unmannerly fashion.

'_Guess I could go around visiting places again_,' she thought. '_I probably shouldn't go all the way touring back to Tokyo this time, though._'

She remembered yesterday, and how she'd taken the trains all the way to Tokyo, without her brother's consent or knowledge. She snorted, thinking of how shocked he'd be to hear that she took a couple busses and trains all the way to Tokyo. He'd probably do it himself, however, just from the sheer fact that he was attending a college in Nisshin of the Aichi Prefecture. And it was even closer to Tokyo. '_How lucky he must be_,' she thought, blankly staring at the ceiling.

'_Even if I told him I was just interested in checking out the big city life, I think he'd make me go back home._' She decided it'd be best not to say anything about her roundabout tour of Kyoto. '_But I spent a lot of money to get there, and all I really did was meet up with demon boy_,' she thought, recalling the resentful look on his face when he'd first remembered who she was.

The thought of home crossed her mind. She didn't want to go back. Of course, Furano was a nice place to live, but it wasn't enough for her. Sure it was in Hokkaido, and it was a beautiful area, but it didn't please her. She always had felt pressed to get out and go places, to big cities or towns just to meet people and do things. Life back home definitely wasn't what she desired.

"Well, it can't be helped," she decided, standing up. "I'll just _have_ to go and explore some more," she said with feigned displeasure. "And I suppose I could look for someplace that is offering a job," she added quickly, as she eyed at her wallet guiltily; it looked somewhat deflated at the moment.

Moving quickly, she went into her bedroom and began tossing clothes this way and that way in search of a nicer outfit to wear out. After a trial and error session of what to wear, she decided on a red and white polka dot dress that was strapless with a belt around the upper part of her waist. She had a white jacket with long sleeves that stopped at the area of the belt. As for shoes, she threw on some red flats and went to look at herself in the mirror in the bathroom.

"Not half bad, if I do say so myself," she said, hands on her hips and a wide grin plastered on her face. She sucked in slightly as she pulled up the belt, as it was a little loose where it sat. "There, that's better." She quickly brushed through her pink mid-length hair, and fixed her bangs up before she grabbed her wallet, cell phone, and keys and headed out the door, locking it behind her.

* * *

When it came to Midorima, Akashi couldn't say he hated him. In fact, out of all the members in the Generation of Miracles, Akashi favored him the most. He didn't dislike the other members; they all had certain qualities he respected. But he and Midorima got along the best out of them all.

But of all the people to go to lunch with, Midorima was probably the showiest, considering he'd do some of the strangest things for his horoscope. Every day he'd carry around his "lucky item" designated by his horoscope to keep up his luck. It was mostly because his specialty in basketball was the long shot, and he relied somewhat on luck to make those shots.

Today he'd come with a rather unusual object, however. It was a lucky cat statue, but it was the size of a small child. He'd placed it next to him in the booth he sat in, and when Akashi looked up to meet his eyes, he realized he'd also worn cat ears and most likely had a cat tail on. Midorima was definitely eccentric, but Akashi found it interesting that someone so strange could have such a straight way of thinking. It was the part of Midorima that he most respected.

"Long time no see, Akashi," Midorima said, his face serious as Akashi sat down in the booth across from him.

Akashi acknowledged him, smiling lightly. "Hello, Midorima," he greeted.

The two of them met on a regular basis at this restaurant in the past, but more recently the meetings had become less and less frequent. It was mostly due to school and devotion to their own basketball team, but it was nice to have a little chit chat here and there or catch a bite once in a while. They'd seen each other at the meeting the day before at the Winter Cup, but even then they hadn't spoken much.

"Yoshinoya hasn't changed much, has it? It feels like the old days again," Akashi said, reminiscing.

"I didn't call you here to chat about the past. I called you here to talk about the match coming up," Midorima said, lowering his eyebrows with irritation.

Akashi stared at the front counter. Several people were lined up waiting to order. The sound of the machines humming in the background with occasional beeping to signify that the food had finished cooking reminded him of his younger days, when his whole team would go out to lunch or dinner to places like this. His mind snapped back to reality when his stomach growled loud enough for the table next to them to hear.

"Ah, I suppose I should eat," he said, turning his attention back to Midorima. "I'll go order. What would you like to eat?"

"…The teriyaki chicken bowl. Akashi, were you even—

"Alright. I'll be back in a minute," Akashi said, standing and heading up to the front counter.

Midorima rolled his eyes as Akashi turned his back and went to order. As Akashi strolled up to the counter, he could feel the looks of several eyes on his back. He glanced over his shoulder and noticed a few girls staring at him, who sheepishly looked away when he'd made eye contact with them. He knew he was rather good looking, but as years passed, he felt he was getting more and more attention. It made him feel proud, and only added to his conceited attitude.

That was, of course, until he overheard their conversation.

"Did you see his eyes?" one girl asked, with a rather nasally tone.

Another one perked up with, "Yeah! They were sort of creepy!" to which the third girl in their group complied with, adding, "I thought he was attractive, but that's just weird. You think he has colored contacts?"

"He's probably in one of those weirdo cosplay groups," the girl with the nasally tone said, sending all three of them into a giggling fit.

Akashi furrowed his eyebrows and clenched his fists at his sides. He felt like punching one of them in the face, but refrained. '_How rude of those three pigs, to judge me when they obviously have nothing to brag about._'

When he got up to the front of the line a woman with short hair who was somewhat plump smiled endearingly at him. "What would you like, sir?"

By the tone of her voice, Akashi figured she was either around his age or younger. "I'd like two teriyaki chicken bowls, please."

"What size would you like those in?" she asked.

Akashi could hear the girls speak up again. "I bet _she'd_ like it super sized, if you know what I mean," one of the girls snorted, and the others joined in with laughter.

Akashi banged his fist down on the counter and glared over his shoulder. Half of the restaurant went completely quiet, the other half too far away to hear, but their eyes still fixed on his sudden outburst.

"Excuse me, _pig faces_?" Akashi said, turning towards them, and putting one hand in his pocket. He gestured with the other hand. "And in what degree do you have permission to make fun of people? Look at yourselves; you appear pampered to the nines, but to no real extent. You all wear fake jewelry and butter yourselves up so much that you all look like ugly plastic dolls. Think before you speak, you posing _whores_."

Akashi turned on his heel, walking back to the counter, smiling at the lady up front who seemed flustered. "Medium size, please."

"Ah…yes," she said, writing it down and sending it back to be made. "Your total comes to eight hundred yen. Did you want drinks with that?"

Akashi could vaguely hear the screeching of the chairs as the girls fumbled out the doors behind him. He sighed, as if a large weight had been lifted off his shoulders. "I'll take one Wild Cherry Pepsi and a Sierra Mist."

"Got it," the girl said, smiling brightly. "That brings your total to one thousand and one hundred yen. Here's your table number, we'll have your food delivered in approximately ten minutes."

"Thank you," he said, turning and walking back to the table with Midorima. He sat the number sign down on the table.

"Oh, that's my lucky number," Midorima said, picking up the sign and looking at the number fourteen on the sign as Akashi sat down. "By the way, what was that up there?"

"A few pig faced teenage girls were bothering me, is all," Akashi said, propping up his head with one arm. "I got you a Sierra Mist. Wasn't sure what you wanted."

"That's fine," Midorima began, "but where you listening when I was talking earlier?"

Akashi looked up at him, perplexed. "No, what were you saying?"

Midorima sighed, brows furrowing. "I was saying that we'll be facing each other in a few days. I'm looking forward to it."

"As am I," Akashi said, smiling. "I don't intend on losing. Of course, I've never tasted defeat before, and I don't intend on it." He was practically lying through his teeth, but at the time he didn't feel like going back to memories of the past. And it could be easily overlooked; it was basketball that they were talking about, and not shogi. "But I look forward to the game." His eyes glinted with enthusiasm.

Midorima sighed, looking at him seriously. He appeared to be in deep thought for a moment as his expression changed from serious to puzzled. He decided to speak up, "Then what about yester—

He was cut off as a boy came by holding a tray of food. "Two teriyaki chicken bowls with one Sierra Mist and one Wild Cherry Pepsi, correct?"

Akashi looked pleased as he sat back and let the boy set the bowls down in front of him and Midorima. When he held up the Pepsi, Akashi simply said, "That's for me, the Sierra is for him."

"Right," the boy said, placing the cups down accordingly. He turned and left with the tray and Akashi separated his chopsticks, staring hungrily down into the bowl of teriyaki chicken.

Midorima took a sip of his Sierra Mist, continuing to hold it, and kept his eyes on Akashi, who was now taking his first bite. "It's tasty," Akashi said after he'd swallowed.

Midorima continued to stare at him, and Akashi paused only for a moment to note that Midorima wasn't eating, but just taking sips of his drink. "Not hungry?" he asked him.

He sipped his Sierra Mist again, this time setting it down fully. "Akashi, who was that girl from yesterday?" he asked, getting straight to the point.

Akashi looked at him casually for a couple moments. "I have no idea who you're talking about." He turned back down to his food, savoring the sweet pieces of meat.

Midorima sighed audibly. "Don't give me that." He stared at Akashi, watching him eat his food without even glancing up once to make eye contact. "Surely you remember."

Akashi swallowed the bite he'd just chewed. "Perhaps."

Midorima reached across the table, pulling away Akashi's bowl. "Why won't you tell me? You knew her name, didn't you?" He frowned at Akashi, giving him persistent and questioning looks with his eyes.

Akashi kept his facial composure, his eyebrows furrowing slightly. "Oh, don't do that. I really wouldn't like to take out my pent up anger on you." He reached for his bowl, but Midorima slapped his hand away lightly.

"If I remember correctly, she said she beat you before," Midorima said, staring down at Akashi. "I've been curious since yesterday, but your words before on how you'd never tasted defeat before don't exactly match up with that event."

Akashi looked straight at him, nonchalantly. "…Her name is Hoshikawa Sakura. Now please return my teriyaki chicken bowl. Unless of course you'd like me to force you to return it," Akashi looked up with a spark in his eyes, this one challenging and angered.

"…No thanks, you can have it." Midorima passed the bowl back and separated his own chopsticks, then took his first bite. "It's good." He paused, holding back his thoughts for a moment before he spoke them aloud. "What exactly is the relationship between you two?" Midorima took another bite, but his gaze kept on Akashi, as if to pressure him.

Akashi didn't want to answer, but with the current chain of events, he didn't feel he could escape it. He exhaled heavily. "She's an acquaintance of mine," Akashi looked up to meet the green eyes of Midorima, who still didn't seem pleased with the current amount of information he'd given. His eyebrows furrowed as he managed to get out, "And she was the first to beat me in a game of shogi."

Midorima's eyes went wide and he dropped the piece of chicken he'd had in his chopsticks. He didn't look to be attempting to suppress his surprise as his mouth was open. He closed it and somewhat regained his calm, a skeptical look forming afterwards. "So…you _have_ tasted defeat."

Akashi grabbed his Pepsi and sipped it. "Yes, once before." His eyes were focused on the scenery outside. It had begun to snow, and Akashi silently hoped it wouldn't stick, so it wouldn't be as bad to walk home in. "But only once. I won't let her win again."

Midorima seemed to take that and think deeply on it. "Did you just let her get the upper hand by accident?"

Akashi closed his eyes in thought as he ate another bite. When they opened, they were directed at his soda. "I suppose I had. I've vowed never to lose since, and I haven't so far."

There was silence for at least two minutes until Midorima spoke up again. "Have you played a game against her recently?"

He rolled around a piece of chicken lazily with one chopstick, eyes following it. His other hand propped his face up. Complete boredom clouded his facial expression. "I haven't."

Again, there was silence, and Midorima spoke up. "If I were you, I'd play her again when I got the chance." Akashi looked up, and Midorima added, "You shouldn't just go by what I say, though."

"Oh, naturally I wouldn't," Akashi jumped in, smiling.

Midorima sighed in response, expecting Akashi's comment. "Aren't you curious about playing against her?"

Akashi finished the last bite and dejectedly looked at his soda. Pulling the plastic lid off, and setting it aside, he began stirring the straw in circles, pondering about playing a game of shogi with her. "I'd win anyways. The outcome wouldn't change, don't you think?"

"I think it would do you some good to find out," Midorima advised, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

Akashi drank the rest of his soda, and sat his cup down gently. He looked back outside and was pleased to see that it had stopped snowing. And the snow that fell hadn't stuck, as he'd hoped for. It just appeared as if it had rained. "Hmph. She'd be no fun to play against, anyways."

Midorima stared for a moment, and then suddenly chuckled. "I never thought you'd be one to pout."

His golden and red eyes stayed focused on the roads outside. "Shut up."

A couple more minutes passed, and Akashi stood up and turned to look at Midorima. "I'm leaving now. I'm sure you have the courtesy to not speak of this conversation again."

Midorima just waved a hand dismissively as he chewed a mouthful. When he swallowed he said, "Of course. See you."

"By the way, the bill was about one thousand yen. Remind me to pay you back later," Akashi threw in just before he smirked proudly, waltzing out into the wet outdoors. He didn't even turn back to see what kind of infuriated or irritated expression Midorima now wore, but just smiled at the knowledge that it was there.

* * *

Hoshikawa Sakura stood shivering and wishing she had warmth as her legs trembled. She reprimanded herself wordlessly for leaving with no umbrella. The weather had said that it would possibly snow today, and if not, it would at least rain. But of course that little detail hadn't been in her mind before she left, and now she found herself in an awful situation.

She sneezed as she held her arms and walked down the street, her drenched hair sticking to her face, her clothing soaked and plastered to her body. She made it to the nearest bus stop finally, and sat down on the bench.

'_I'm only a little ways from home now, so I'll be fine_,' she reassured herself.

She'd gone site seeing for too long, and when she had realized that it was snowing, it was too late. She ended up running through it to the nearest train station only to find that she'd missed the train, and gloomily decided to take the bus. She wasn't far from home, but the train would've been a faster and drier method of transportation, which in this weather, she definitely favored.

However, despite all the bad news, she had actually scored a job in a small café not far down the road from her apartment. She would work there on days after school, but Sundays she got off, which was nice. And it was a nice and small café; nothing too busy or crowded, which she preferred.

She sighed as the bus pulled up and splashed water on her, although she didn't mind at this point considering she would be home soon. Sakura quickly climbed on in, paid the toll, and sat down at the end of one of the booths. Not bothering to make eye contact with anyone, she simply listened to the hum of the engine as the bus moved on.

When it got to her stop, which only took about ten minutes or less, she got off, thanking the bus driver, and ran to the apartment complex. At this point, she wasn't worried about getting any more wet, because it wouldn't matter. As she went up the steps to the apartment complex, her shoes made disgusting wet and squishy noises with each footstep, which she turned her nose up to. She took the elevator, grateful that her apartments were nice enough to have one. Her complex reminded her of a fancy hotel, and she was surprised her brother had allowed her to live here. These complexes were expensive, and they didn't have much, but Kyou had said he wanted the very best for her. And so here she was, relying on her brother again.

She sighed as she stepped out on her floor, hoping no one would notice she was tracking in a lot of water. As she walked down the hallway, she glanced out the clear windows, down at the courtyard. They even had a small courtyard with a pool, hot tub, and places to sit and relax. She remembered when she first got here, and how her and Kyou had stood, marveling the furniture and design of the lobby. The lady at the front desk had given them a weird look.

Sakura giggled at the memory as she reached her door. She stuck her hand in her pocket and grabbed out her keys and phone. She noticed it was flashing at the top, and turned it on to see that she had a missed call from Kyou.

'_He's probably just being a worrywart again_,' she assumed, tucking her phone back into her dress pocket.

She had only gotten to her door and was fumbling with her keys, shaking slightly from the cold air against her wet skin, when she heard a 'click' noise, and a flash of light coming from down the hallway. When she turned to look, Akashi was standing with phone in hand, held up and facing her. She presumed he was taking a photo as payback.

"Ah, look at what the cat dragged in," Akashi smirked, slipping the phone back into his pocket and walking towards her slowly. He leaned on the wall in between his door and hers.

"What do you want, _A-chan_?" Sakura mocked.

Akashi raised an eyebrow, and Sakura tried to suppress her cold shivers, as if it'd be a weakness.

"Oh, is someone chilly?" He'd said, feigning surprise. Obviously her attempt to suppress her shivers hadn't worked.

She continued to glare at him as she unlocked her door and stood to face him. She didn't say anything, but just looked up at him. A couple minutes passed, but before she could speak up, he interrupted.

"…Do you remember our shogi match way back when?"

She smirked, "Yeah, the one I beat you in?"

Akashi sighed. He seemed to be taking his time, hesitating between everything he said. She shivered again, and turned her head to the side slightly, raising an eyebrow, as if pushing him to speak.

He crossed his arms. "I want to play against you again," he started, "But not now. After the Winter Cup, I'd like to have a serious match with you."

Sakura stared at him, eyes filled with doubt. "So this time you're not going to pin me up against a wall and threaten me, Mr. Duck Boxers?"

Akashi leaned in on her, a smile playing across his lips. "Depends, little girl," he answered and gestured with a hand, twirling it and then placing it on her lips. "You might need more reprimanding with that mouth of yours."

"Bite me, I dare you," Sakura scowled, quickly moving into her apartment and attempting to slam her door when Akashi's hand slipped in and blocked it from shutting, the force of the door clenching down on his fingers. She stepped back in shock with a gasp, eyes widening, and letting her grip of the door loose.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I—

Sakura stopped, remembering that he was the enemy in this situation. She felt dumb for apologizing to him, but also felt guilty for hurting him, and flushed in response. Her emotions were a mixture of concerned and angry.

Akashi took one step inside past the doorframe and gazed down at her. "Ouch, that really hurt," he said sarcastically with a grin, holding his hand as if it were in pain. "You shouldn't be so rough with me, _kitten_."

Akashi smirked at her, and she glared back at him. "Oh please, get over yourself, _demon boy_." She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. She felt uneasy, but tried hard to hide it.

For a few moments, there was simply mutual silence as they stared into one another's eyes. It was like a battle; if one of them looked away, it would be like defeat, so neither of them looked away. He put his hands into his pockets, his face turning serious. Sakura had only just noticed the great height difference between her and Akashi when he interrupted her thoughts.

"I look forward to that game of shogi, Miss Hoshikawa. We'll speak again soon," he finished with a grin and a chuckle, as he stepped back outside. His gaze never left hers; even as he was stepping out the door, his head was turned to the side, and his eyes peered from over his shoulder.

The door shut gently and she could hear his footsteps as he made his way down to his door, and inside his own apartment. Her shoulders felt as if they were lighter as soon as he'd left. As much as she hated to admit it, he scared her. He was intimidating, and just meeting his eyes was a challenge. But she hated showing weakness, and now she'd gotten herself into a mess with him.

'_This is wonderful. Great first couple of days in Kyoto_,' she thought sarcastically, sighing.

Running a hand through her hair as she locked the door, she bit her lip in frustration, and went into her bedroom throwing herself on her squishy bed. There was something about him that pissed her off. She'd always hated conceited people who thought so highly of themselves, but he made her feel enraged at times.

Sakura sat up on her bed, and glanced at the shogi board in the bottom of her opened closet. If he wanted a match, he was going to get it. And she wouldn't let him down; she'd win and break that prideful aura of his. She grinned at the thought of him losing again, reveling in the idea of it.

"If you wanna play that way, then fine. I'll teach you, stupid demon boy," she declared in the solitude of her simple room.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Thanks so much everyone, for reading this fanfic! I'm working on it as much as I can, feverishly trying to get it updated.

I'd like to know, what did you guys think about Akashi's personality? I tried to show the good parts of him, as he's not completely a demon boy, contrary to what Sakura believes. Speaking of Sakura, more of her personality will be displayed in the next chapter. I know this one focuses just on Akashi, and barely on Sakura, so the next chapter will be quite the opposite.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you'll stick with this story until the end.~


	3. Blackmail and His Double Nature

Blackmail and His Double Nature

* * *

Sweat was sliding down his face, some dripping off of his chin, and some continuously running down his neck. He didn't wipe at it though, he let it run down his skin. His breaths were coming out heavily, each one longer and weaker than the one previous as his heart slowed.

Akashi was in the moment. His heart pumped faster every time he predicted a movement of someone on the court, and with each move he made, he became more and more excited. The climax of the game was coming up, and he knew the outcome already.

Midorima had just made a three-pointer and had found a way around Akashi's "Emperor Eye". His eye had the ability to see all the opponent's moves from eagle eye view, but also know their plans and movements before they even made them. It was very useful in all games, and made him almost unstoppable. It baffled him how Midorima had even made it past his techniques. However, he wasn't worried, because he knew how the game would end from the beginning. He had the confidence to even say so.

"It's impossible, Akashi," Midorima began, panting and practically soaked with sweat. "Even with your Emperor Eye, you can't stop our shots…!"

Akashi smiled with pride. "It is true that height is a crucial factor when it comes to basketball. At first glance, it looks unstoppable…" He smirked. "But let me educate you."

His eyes widened, full of arrogance as he sneered at Midorima. "I am absolute. I can see the entirety of the future. It is but a simple matter of how to change it."

The game started up again, the ball passing from one member of the team to the next. Shutoku High School's team was completely focused and the game was quiet, even the crowd silent due to the great suspense. Heads turned and eyes followed the ball with only the seldom squeak of tennis shoes against the slick stadium flooring as the game advanced.

Takao had gotten through a double team defense line and was turning to repeat the same comeback he and Midorima had come up with. Just as he'd gotten close and begun to toss the ball, Akashi had slipped in between them, staring down at Takao with vengeful eyes and catching the ball with his left hand.

Before Takao even had time to react, Akashi chuckled. "Did you not hear me? I am _absolute_," he leered.

Akashi swiftly made it to the hoop, and with one swoop of the arm, it was in. Shutoku's team stared in shock, unable to stop his reign.

"Shutoku's attack failed—or rather, what an unfortunate miss!" the announcer exclaimed.

Akashi explained the flaws of Midorima's plan without missing a beat. "The shot would obviously come from the left. I only used the eye to take one step faster than Takao."

He sneered, adding, "Otherwise, I hardly needed to use the Emperor's Eye."

"Tch," grunted Midorima. "I couldn't have guessed that we had already fallen into your trap."

"Ah, but you are presenting yourselves above what I expected, but not what I imagined." Akashi's expression went serious as he added. "Shogi and basketball, they're all the same."

As he walked away, he added with a smirk, "Didn't I always tell you? A strategic move only works when you plan ahead without your opponent becoming aware of it."

Midorima glared in response, but Akashi hardly looked back as they went back into position.

As the game progressed, Akashi made his moves carefully, otherwise leaving it to Kotaro, Reo, or Eikichi. He smirked as the ball passed through his teammates, hardly allowing Shutoku to take or steal it successfully.

When the final seconds had come, Akashi took hold of the ball, and made his way towards Midorima. Without displaying any emotion, he said, "It's over, Shintarou."

Akashi tripped him with the special ankle breaking move he'd perfected, utilizing his dribbling skill. He smirked as Midorima fell back onto his bottom. "Again, I must show my respect for you, Shintarou…and Shutoku High School," he began, posing and aiming with ease. "Until the very end, not a single one of you gave up."

As he jumped, propelling the ball high into the air towards the hoop, Midorima gritted his teeth and jumped with all his might, attempting to knock it out of his hands.

"…You won't reach."

The shot made it, as Akashi predicted. He landed on his feet, gracefully and sneered impertinently at Midorima. "Sleep, veteran king," he chuckled, the loud bell that signaled the end of the game echoing throughout the stadium.

* * *

Akashi was drying himself off with a towel in the locker room when Reo approached him. He was shirtless, wearing only his shorts, as he leaned up against the doorframe. He had showered and water dripped off the tips of his bangs. A small towel was swung over his shoulder, presumably the one he'd used to dry off with.

"…What is it?" Akashi asked, keeping his back turned to Reo as he dressed himself. He planned on showering in his own shower instead of here. The shower in his apartment was much nicer, after all. Plus, he needed to save time if he was going to make it home in time.

"You sure gave that boy something to think about," Reo said, brushing back his bangs. It was feminine in a way, but then that was just Reo. "Saying that stuff about being his enemy and whatnot." Reo clicked his tongue. "And you didn't even shake his hand."

Akashi opened his locker again and found his cologne, dousing himself with it. Reo's nose went up a little. Though he assumed Reo was used to it from his feminine upkeep with hygiene, it seemed even for him, it was a large amount of cologne. Akashi regretted it when the taste of bitter liquid floated into his mouth and he gagged a little.

Reo coughed from behind him. "Nice cologne. Expensive, I'm assuming?" When Akashi didn't answer, Reo sighed and his eyelids lowered as he looked down at him. "So he was your previous teammate. Didn't he deserve some sort of respect?"

Akashi remembered what he'd said to Midorima. He hadn't regretted it in the least, but then anyone who couldn't win against him wasn't worth admiring or giving respect to. Not in Akashi's eyes, at any rate.

* * *

_Akashi felt a presence behind him, and turned on his heel. It was Midorima. "Ah, Shintarou."_

_Midorima inhaled deeply, and extended his hand. "…I lost. I looked forward to this match, Akashi. I really did." _

_He looked serious for a moment, and as Akashi was about to interrupt, he spoke again. "I lost this time, but next time I will—no, Shutoku will win!"_

_Akashi kept his emotionless gaze on Midorima for a moment. He could feel the uneasiness in Midorima's eyes. It was still noisy in the stadium, because the next game would begin soon. The audience was very talkative, the suspense from the game that had just been played, now released._

_As the rest of the team left, Akashi closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, he smiled a little. "Let me express my gratitude, Shintarou."_

_Midorima blinked, pulling his extended hand back a little ways._

_"It has been a while since I played such a thrilling game…" He sighed. "However, I cannot accept your handshake."_

_Midorima pulled his hand back down to his side, a little shocked. Promptly, he regained his composure as he listened to Akashi's next words._

_"If you crave victory, then become less compassionate." Akashi didn't blink once, keeping a solemn expression as he added, "Victory is everything; I want to be your enemy."_

_Midorima looked down and sighed. Moments of silence passed as the two stood facing one another. "…I see. You haven't changed, Akashi…from back then. Even so, we will win next time." He looked up at Akashi boldly, and the ends of his mouth went up slightly._

* * *

After his final words with Midorima, Akashi had watched as he returned to his team, and then left to join his own in the locker room. Kotaro had and Eikichi had already left, but Reo had apparently stayed to shower, as Akashi had just found out.

Reo coughed again and raised an eyebrow with an unsure smile. "Seriously, do you need to put on that much?"

Akashi shrugged. "I'd rather smell nice before I head home." He slipped his shirt on, buttoning it up. "As for the issue with Shintarou, I was merely teaching him a lesson."

He turned sideways to look at Reo. "He should know better than to make friends with his enemies." He straightened his collar, and quickly slipped on his tie with ease. As he adjusted it, he admitted, "And although he was an interesting opponent of sorts, I knew from the start he would lose. It's as simple as that."

Reo tilted his head slightly, and Akashi wound his belt around his waist, buckling it. "Not even shaking his hand, though..." Reo sighed. "I guess that's just expected of you, though. I won't question you anymore."

The doors to the locker room slung open as Eikichi came in, pulling Kotaro by a head lock. He was grinning, and Kotaro was his usual giddy self as well, only complaining when Eikichi wouldn't let go. "Reo-nee! Make the muscle-gorilla let go of me!"

Reo turned to them and sighed, exasperated. "Oui, let go of him."

Eikichi just grinned widely. "Oh, what was that, _pretty boy_?"

Akashi sighed as he tucked in his shirt, and slipped on his coat and scarf. He buried his nose in it slightly, prepared for the cold outdoors. "Why don't you guys cool off? Don't forget we've got another game tomorrow, and I'll expect all of you to be on your best behavior."

He glared at Kotaro and Eikichi as he exited the locker room, messenger bag across his shoulder. "So _conserve _your energy, fools."

Before Akashi could fully leave, Reo called his name. "Akashi, wait."

Akashi cocked his head slightly. "Hmm?"

Reo crossed his arms. "I thought you were staying with us at the hotel tonight again. Change of plans?"

Akashi pondered for a moment, directing his attention elsewhere. "I suppose you could call it that."

Truth was, he couldn't stand being around Eikichi and Kotaro when they roughhoused. It bothered him to the point he sometimes felt like shooting himself. The way they bickered and pushed each other around; he wondered sometimes how they stood each other, or how Reo stood them for that matter.

Reo sighed, "Ah, alright, just leave me here with these fools then." He glared at the twosome standing nearby, Eikichi now giving Kotaro a noogie as he laughed and pushed to get free.

Akashi smirked as he left them, giving a slight raise of the hand while he walked away as a sign of departure. Luckily, he already had his stuff from staying at the hotel the night before, so he wouldn't need to make any more extra trips. Now just a few train rides, and he'd be home.

* * *

Sakura was facing the mirror, putting up her hair in a ponytail. Her internal clock had told her it was some time in the late afternoon, and without even checking the clock, she'd headed to the bathroom. She began brushing her teeth as she leaned out the window, staring down the street in thought.

'_I wonder how Kyou is_,' she pondered, one hand supporting her chin, the other brushing her teeth. She slowed with brushing her teeth as she thought. '_He's probably fine; the one I should really worry about is mom. With her new arising habits and that loser boyfriend of hers…she's probably passed out at his place._'

She rolled her eyes and removed the toothbrush from her mouth. She twirled it a little in the air, almost pretending it was a wand when her hand slipped and she dropped it. She watched it fall a little, and reacted late.

"Oh, cra—

She covered her mouth, pulling herself inside quickly and closing the window. She sidled up against the wall next to the window, hoping that he hadn't seen her, in response to the shock.

Sakura had dropped her toothbrush right on the head of the demon prince.

Suddenly, a grin found its way onto her face, and she couldn't control it any longer and burst out laughing. She doubled over with laughter, and used the counter to support her and help from falling over. Her face was bright red with embarrassment, but her eyes gleamed with pure bliss, tears budding up from the laughing fit she was in.

When the laughter subsided, she found herself lying on the floor of her bathroom, holding her stomach. She had a wide grin across her face, giggling every once in a while just imagining the look on his face. She stayed there for a few minutes, just smiling and laughing to herself.

'_What a joy that was. I wonder if he knew it was me._'

Her thoughts were interrupted as there was a quiet knock on the door, and she stood from where she laid, rushing to get the door. Sakura already felt she knew who was there, but she wanted to answer anyways, just to see his expression.

"Hey, _demon boy_," she said, smiling and looking straight into his yellow and red eyes.

"…Yes, good evening, _monster girl_," he spat, an eyebrow twitching in annoyance.

He held up a toothbrush, spit and toothpaste still plastered all over it. Some of it was visible on his head, a small splatter of toothpaste stuck in his hair. He looked pissed, and Sakura had to try hard not to get into another giggle fit.

"…Would this be yours?" He asked, lowering his eyebrows, apparently noticing she was holding back laughter.

"Yup, but I don't need it anymore," Sakura said, adding with a mischievous smile, "It sort of fulfilled its job, if you know what I mean." She winked, with a clear smirk.

'_Even though that wasn't nearly on purpose_,' Sakura thought, '_but I'd call it luck if anything_.'

Akashi clenched it hard enough that it snapped at the neck, the brush falling to the ground. He gritted his teeth, a snarl plain and visible on his face. Sakura was almost used to the look on his face that she hardly reacted.

"What?" she asked, feigning innocence.

Akashi just sighed, turned on his heel, and headed straight into his apartment. Sakura stepped outside to watch him go inside, and he slammed the door behind him swiftly after he'd entered. She flinched from the loud noise, and sighed with a content smile. Just that was enough to make her day more interesting, and she was satisfied with the accident that turned into her guilty pleasure.

* * *

The sun now on the brim of the horizon sent rays of orange-red light through the windows that stretched across Sakura's body, sprawled across the couch with a single book open and lying on her face. She was sound asleep, hardly making a noise as she slept. Her eyes opened slowly, blinking in union at a very sluggish pace as she stared up at the ceiling. She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes.

Sakura yawned and looked around, confused. "Did I fall asleep?" she wondered aloud. "How long have I been asleep?" she asked to the empty space, and looked at the clock on the wall adjacent to her. It read seven in the afternoon, and she sat back, twisting her lips in confusion. She wracked her brain, attempting to remember what she'd been doing before she'd fallen asleep, but to no avail.

She raised an eyebrow, attempting to brush through her bed hair unsuccessfully. She didn't normally get bed hair, but sometimes her hair got tangled up in the back. Sakura winced as she pulled out a tough knot with her fingers, deciding maybe she'd just leave it to the hair brush.

Her legs were surprisingly warm, so she glanced down to find a blanket covering her body, ruffled at her waist where it'd gathered after she'd sat up. She brushed it off, wondering when she'd taken out the spare blanket that had been spread across her body.

She stood up and drowsily went into the kitchen as a response to her grumbling stomach. As she opened the fridge, she remembered what had happened earlier and began giggling.

"That's right; the vain prince came over because I dropped my toothbrush in his hair." She grabbed the milk carton, and grabbed a glass, filling it to the brim. "I have to admit, that brightened my day."

As Sakura drank the glass, she went back into the living room and noticed that the picture frame that usually sat on the mantle was sitting upright on the coffee table next to the couch. She tilted her head sideways and went to investigate. She sat her glass down, picking up the frame and holding it with both her hands. She stared longingly into the family photo and the familiar faces between her fingers.

She sighed quietly, and sat it back on the coffee table, facedown. She didn't want to remember the past now of all times, but she felt very solemn, her lack of friends and interactions making her mood turn sour. She plunked herself down on the couch with a depressed sigh.

Sakura did want friends, and she had been trying the first few days of school, but the majority of people that attended were all snooty figures with so much on their shoulders they hardly had time for her.

* * *

_"Remember, Sakura. You need to always treat people how you'd want to be treated," Teiji, Sakura's father said, waving a finger in her face in a scolding manner._

_Sakura pouted, her lips puckering and her expression angered. She had scrapes on her knees and arms, and a couple of bruises here and there from the fight with her male classmates. Although she was almost in secondary school, she had still picked a fight with some of the boys in her grade, and therefore her father had been called up to school to pick her up._

_She struggled in the seatbelt in the passenger seat of the car, keeping her eyes away from her father's. She attempted to give him the silent treatment, but he just chuckled and continued talking._

_"You know, Sakura, with a pouty face like that you won't get that many friends," he laughed. "You should smile more."_

_Sakura kept her eyes out the window, refusing to give in. Her dad sighed, and stayed silent for a moment._

_"I know," he began, breaking the silence, "it's different once you get to secondary school, and I know you don't know many people here, but you need to at least try to get to know them."_

_He patted her head and her eyes went teary. She had already begun to feel guilty and was on the verge of breaking down and crying in her father's arms. She still kept her eyes outside, though, attempting to keep her cool as she sniffled slightly._

_"Look at me, Sakura," Teiji had said, and Sakura finally looked over at him in the driver's seat._

_He chuckled and ruffled her hair. Her tears began rolling down her face as she looked downwards and her father just smiled. "I know it hurts. Just let it out, baby girl."_

_She cried then, letting her wails go free as her tears slid down her face. Her nose began running and her father sat in silence as he let her cry her heart out. She could feel the burn in the back of her throat as she begun hiccupping. Her crying subsided, and she was calm, but the guilt from disappointing her father and several of the school officials, as well as all of her classmates, was weighing down on her shoulders heavily._

_Sakura had never been particularly good at making friends. She wasn't too social, and she loved her family above all other people. Therefore, she didn't need anyone. She had her older brother, Kyou, to play with, and that was all she felt she needed. Besides, most of the kids in her neighborhood had bullied her since she was young, and she hated the feeling of being alienated by everyone._

_"Why…why do I need friends? All they do is make fun of me for my hair color," Sakura asked, still hiccupping._

_Her father sighed for a moment in deep thought. "Well, one day your mother and I won't be around. And Kyou probably will be around, but he'll have his own life to live. You'll need them because they'll be there for you."_

_Sakura stayed quiet and met her father's gaze when he looked over at her from his seat. He chuckled again. He was such a happy person; Sakura never thought he could ever feel sad. She'd never seen him cry, much less be in a bad mood._

_"Think of it this way," he said, ruffling her hair again, "one day, they'll be the replacement of your family. They'll be there for you in my stead, kiddo. So at least give it some effort, alright?"_

_Sakura looked up at her father. His eyes reminded her of Kyou's, and his facial structure looked a lot younger for his age. She wondered how he hadn't ended up with wrinkles, considering he must've always been worried for Sakura's sake. She was always being clumsy or getting in trouble in some way. Then again, he was still somewhat young, she figured._

_She giggled. "So why not just get a husband and have a family of my own?"_

_Her father raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Hey now, I have to approve of him first." He laughed afterwards, and Sakura joined in gleefully._

_ If he was always cheerful, she felt she could do the same._

* * *

Remembering the moments she'd had with her father made her tear up a little. He'd been a good father, and of all the people to leave her in her youth, his loss had stung the most. He had always told her to make friends, and used the golden rule as the epitome of all of his advice. And although he wasn't always the best at giving advice, he had always given her moral support, and that had always been enough for her.

But at her new school, making friends was completely different from back in Furano. She'd tried to talk to a couple of her classmates, and they'd shrugged her off as an unimportant, some of them looking at her with irritated eyes. A few people wouldn't even turn to look at her; it was as if they were all too preoccupied with themselves.

Sakura hated people like that. It was always the people who were conceited that sent her off into a rage. But she couldn't stand them. They always pissed her off with their attitudes, and she couldn't imagine making friends with any of her classmates at this point in time.

She groaned, pulling her knees close. She wondered how many times she would repeat the same position when she was upset. Sakura rocked back and forth on the squishy couch like a child. When all was silent, she noticed she could hear the sound of running water.

'_I didn't leave the sink running, did I?_' she asked herself. '_I couldn't have. It's probably just the demon prince next door taking a shower or something._'

When the sound of the running water ceased to stop, she stood up to see where it was coming from. Sure enough, she could hear it coming from down the hallway. "Did I seriously leave something running?"

She reached out and grabbed the knob, twisting it with ease. When she threw the door open, she heard the water stop suddenly, and stepped in slightly. Steam filled the room, clouding her view somewhat and it took her a minute to realize someone was standing inside the clear, glass shower.

He pushed open the door, and picked up a towel on the counter, smiling at Sakura innocently. "My, what a surprise. Monster girl is peeping on me?"

Akashi stood, water running down his fair skin, trailing down his abs and stomach. His bangs came down over his eyes some, water dripping from the tips and sliding down his face. The edges of his lips were curled up slightly in a smile that was nothing but pure evil to Sakura.

She wanted to grit her teeth in anger, but she couldn't stop staring at _that_. It was her first time seeing one in person, despite that she'd had a brother. Somehow, she'd kept from seeing it all these years, and now that Akashi's was practically dangling in her view, she had a hard time keeping from gawking at it. She tore her eyes away, her face beet red. "_Wait_. What in the world are you doing here?"

She looked back at him, trying to keep her eyes up high and evenly matched with his. He just smirked. "I was sweaty from my game today, so I decided to take a shower."

He dried himself off, starting with his legs, and as he made his way up Sakura had to avert her gaze. Her face was red, and her mind was spinning with questions that she couldn't answer.

Akashi chuckled. "Is something wrong, monster girl?"

Her face went completely red as she burst out the door, slamming it behind her. She crossed her arms and leaned against the door. "You better explain yourself after you dry off!"

A snarky "hmph" came from the other side of the door, and Sakura rolled her eyes. Her heart was beating quickly, and she could feel her face heating up again as the memory of his nude body ran through her mind again. She rubbed her temples with frustration.

"I could've done without that visual," she said, sighing.

She could hear his laughter on the other side of the door and frowned. Apparently he had good hearing.

Sakura decided to go elsewhere while waiting for him. Taking the initiative to make hot cocoa, she went into the kitchen and began heating up milk in the oven while she searched for cocoa powder and marshmallows.

She turned the cocoa powder around and read the recipe. "Says here I need to put a tablespoon of cocoa…" She shrugged blissfully. "I'll just change that to one and a half since I like mine with a lot of chocolate."

When the milk was ready, she mixed in the chocolate and felt eyes on her. She turned around and Akashi was standing in the doorway looking at her with pensive eyes. He was wearing a black t-shirt and a pair of dark red sweat proof shorts. A small white towel was draped around his neck from the back. He just kept silent and she slowly felt more uncomfortable as the seconds passed.

"What?" she said, unable to say anything else at the moment.

His bangs were still dripping slightly. He blinked once or twice and then inhaled a breath. "Making hot chocolate?"

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "…Yeah? If you wait like a few more minutes in the living room I'll bring you a mug."

He looked pensive again as he stared in her. Was it in doubt? She couldn't tell, but she knew that with their circumstances making hot chocolate for him was probably a little too nice.

'_Maybe he thinks I poisoned it. Darn, should've beat him to the idea_,' she thought as he left silently and waltzed into the living room.

When the hot cocoa was finished being brewed, Sakura filled two mugs to the brim and carefully made her way to the couch in her living room. Setting herself down on the recliner adjacent to the couch, she sat the mugs down on drink coasters and slid one mug towards Akashi.

Attempting to look somewhat superior, she crossed her legs and leaned back, and as she opened her mouth to speak, the recliner spread open flat quickly with a jolt. She yelped as her legs dangled in the air and she flew onto her back in the chair. She grunted and cleared her throat as she sat up again, and sheepishly pretended it hadn't happened.

Sakura crossed her legs more slowly this time and looked at Akashi in the eyes. He just had his eyebrows raised and his smirk was there, as per usual. She could feel the heat in her face increase as she kept eye contact with him. She averted her gaze and brushed back her bangs slightly in a nervous manner.

'_I can't stop seeing him naked_,' she thought, '_and it probably doesn't help now that I've utterly made a fool of myself in this stupid recliner._'

She sighed and cut straight to the point. "So, what exactly are you doing in my apartment? And how the hell did you get in?"

Akashi sipped his hot cocoa lightly, and set it back down, smiling at her. "I have my ways of getting in." He smirked and continued, "The reason I came to your apartment was merely because my shower wasn't working. Don't think too much about it; just consider it as an apology for gluing my hair together with toothpaste."

Sakura twisted her lips as she thought on it, keeping from giggling from the memory of his face after she'd dropped her toothbrush on his head. "I see."

Moments of silence passed again as Sakura stared down into her hot cocoa. She could feel Akashi's eyes on her, and she squirmed slightly with embarrassment. A few moments passed until she glanced up slightly and noticed Akashi was calm and just gazing at her evenly.

Akashi chuckled. "Do me a favor and at least look me in the eyes when I ask you this."

Sakura looked up at him slowly, and was perplexed at what she saw. She noticed his expression was sort of calm, and somewhat kind. She certainly didn't expect it and stared at him, a bit awestruck. This was the boy that called her "monster girl" and treated her like a pest. And now he had the eyes of a puppy, and was looking at her so innocently and sincerely that she wanted to puke.

"…What?" she asked, still a bit awestruck.

Akashi furrowed his eyebrows and looked seriously at her. Sakura's heart began beating a little faster as his gaze fixed on hers. "Miss Hoshikawa…I'd like for you to answer this yourself," Akashi looked at her with a calm smile.

Sakura blushed. She wasn't sure where he was going with this, but his looks with the new charming façade he'd put on made her stomach fill with butterflies. He was an attractive boy, and it wasn't that she hadn't noticed this; it was more so that she wanted to deny it. To her, Akashi was an enemy, and admitting that he had good points was like committing taboo.

"Could you tell me your three sizes? I'd rather hear it from you and be accurate. You've measured recently, yes, monster girl?"

Her mouth dropped. All this build up, and now this façade of a gentleman was broken into a thousand pieces just with a simple few words. "…My sizes?"

Akashi smirked, his usual look back into place on his face. Sakura could only gawk at him, incredulously. "Yes, I would like to know your three sizes. Since of course, you'll be attending the winter dance with me, isn't that right?"

Akashi smiled wickedly, his face covered with cruel intent. Sakura's eyebrows twitched in irritation.

"Normally, when someone asks a favor of someone, they don't insult them while doing so. It's dishonorable, but honestly, I don't blame you for not knowing something as simple as that, you _barbarian_ prince," Sakura replied, crossing her arms and smirking angrily. "And who said I'm going with someone like _you_?"

Akashi huffed, as if her insult had merely bounced off of him. "Ah, but I'm sure you wouldn't want these pictures to get out…" He took out a collection of photos from the pocket of his sweat shorts. "…Now, would you?"

Sakura's eyes went wide. He had several photos of her changing in the locker room, with perfect angles to expose every curve and perspective of her body.

"You…you weren't even at school, how did you get those?!" she growled, face reddening again.

"Of course, someone like you wouldn't understand. I have my connections." Akashi slid the pictures back into his pocket. "Now, be a good girl and just tell me your three sizes."

"…You already know them, don't you? Figure it out using those _connections_ of yours," Sakura spat.

"Hmph," Akashi said, placing an elbow on his knee and holding up his chin with his hand. He glared at her with a triumphant smirk. "Oh, that's a shame then. I guess I could just contact my associates and have them put the photos up on all the bulletin boards at school."

Sakura's heart pounded in her chest quickly, and she noticed her hand was shaking, the hot chocolate mug trembling in her hand. She swallowed and looked down. "That's…blackmail."

"So it is," Akashi said, smiling and chuckling.

She kept her eyes down. She let out a long sigh, and blushing slightly said, "Eighty-six, sixty-eight and eighty-four." She looked him in the eyes with a pouting face, "Happy?"

He smiled with his calm smile again. "Yes."

She sighed again. "Why did you pick me? Can't you just get someone else to do it for you?"

Akashi seemed to think for a moment before speaking. "You see, with my reputation I cannot go out with simply anyone."

Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"What I mean is," he continued, "I cannot have any girl at my side that attends our school, except for you."

He picked up his mug and took a long sip of it, setting it down as he spoke again. "My father is a very important man; he has power up in the business world. Because of this, he has a reputation that he has to uphold. And therefore, my prestigious reputation must be kept intact, otherwise there's a chance he could disown me." Akashi's gaze lowered and his eyes almost looked regretful.

Sakura lowered her eyelids and her face relaxed into a more calm expression. "So…you've actually got it rough, too, huh?"

Sakura didn't think of his private issues until now. She hadn't once sat and thought about Akashi's personal life; he was her enemy, so she never felt like she should consider them. But now, after seeing his eyes look so remorseful and saddened, she bit her lip, unsure if she could hate him with all her will.

Akashi looked up, and his eyes darkened slightly. "Not really. It's only what is expected of my father's only son. And so it means I must live up to it, that's all."

Sakura opened her mouth to speak again, but Akashi cut her off. "I'll be taking my leave, now." He stood, and as he did so, his regular sneer appeared on his face again. He turned slightly, ready to head towards the door. "In case you weren't informed properly, the dance is in a week on a Saturday night. I'll have your dress tailored from scratch and adjusted by then…" His voice trailed off, and he looked pensive for a moment.

He froze suddenly, and turned fully towards Sakura. "Ah, yes, I almost forgot. Pardon my mistake. Tomorrow night is the finals for my Winter Cup. On Sunday, I'd like you to accompany me to the tailor's. We'll have your dress fitted properly then."

Sakura furrowed her eyebrows. "Wait, isn't tailoring a dress specifically for someone expensive?"

Akashi averted his gaze and spoke without looking back at her. "Just think of it as a thank you for your cooperation…You can keep it afterwards, as well."

"But—

Sakura protested, but Akashi just held up his hand. "If you do me this favor of being my date, then it's more than enough, trust me."

"…You still haven't told me, though." Sakura said, pulling her legs up on the chair. "Why you picked me, that is."

Akashi stared for a moment, as if he'd forgotten his train of thought. "Well…my father has records or at least access to information about most to all of the students at our school. He'd probably want me to go with a girl that has a high-class background. Or someone he hand-picks, which is annoying."

Sakura raised her eyebrows and smiled a little. "So I qualify as high-class?"

Akashi sat back down on the couch, crossing his legs. "Not exactly."

'_Right_,' she thought, pouting slightly, '_like_ _I can expect the demon prince to be merciful. He could've at least lied…_'

Akashi relaxed, sitting back on the couch. He clasped his hands together and placed them on his lap. "I found your records in the teacher's lounge; they were lying in a pile of students who haven't yet been documented in the databases."

Sakura looked at him with a stunned expression. "So…did you _stole_ my records from the school?"

Akashi glared at her. "I didn't _steal_ them, they were there for the taking. It will be a while before they notice they're gone, so before then, I'll return the papers. However, I'll alter them slightly."

"What good does that do?! What if I can't attend school now because of you?!" Sakura exclaimed, confused and disbelieving all together.

Akashi clicked his tongue. "You're being noisy, just relax. Listen, I'll just alter your records _slightly_ so that they don't say anything about your past attendance at your schools. You skipped school often, didn't you? And it also seems that you fought often with your classmates." He smirked.

Sakura defended herself, her cheeks turning pink slightly. "It wasn't that often! And it was their fault, anyways…Besides, how do those things make me unqualified?"

"An aristocratic girl wouldn't have such things in her records. And some information in your records include where you lived in the past and things about your parents jobs. Not to be rude, but unless your father was the CEO of a large company, I highly doubt my father would approve. I'll keep this information confidential so that my father doesn't have any complaints," Akashi said, crossing his arms. "After all, if you're going to be my date, then you need to have some dignity, at the least."

Sakura made a pouting face at him, her cheeks still pink. Her pink bangs fell across her face, and she pushed them back boldly, as if they were the reason she was angry. "So I have to fake being prestigious and rich? Is your father going to be there?"

Akashi tilted his head to the side slightly. "No, I doubt it. He hardly shows up to my games, so I doubt he'd be at the dance. However, someone could be watching out to see who I go with. Or he'll end up knowing somehow. Honestly I feel like he just wants me to marry quickly and run the family business…"

Akashi stopped, his eyes going wide and his cheeks turning pink. He looked down and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Ah, forgive me. I kept talking about personal issues and probably bored you…"

"…Nope," Sakura said, smiling. "I'm actually glad you opened up to me; you seem like you don't open up to people often, and you're rather cold on the outside. But inside, you're probably really squishy, right?" She grinned, feeling as if she'd analyzed him perfectly.

Akashi chuckled and walked up to where she sat. He squatted, to get to her eye level. "You're more interesting than you seem at first, monster girl." He flicked her forehead lightly.

"That hurt, demon prince," she joked, giggling. He laughed with her a little, and she was surprised they actually were having this moment. The two of them had a rough start, and hated each other's guts, yet they could both laugh at something so simple. She began to think that maybe his heart wasn't so dark, after all.

He stood again, and with his back facing her, and turned his head to look at her from over his shoulder. "Meet me in the lobby around noon on Sunday, and we'll leave together. I'll go over how to be high-class while we're at the tailor's. You'll be practicing many different manners, so be prepared. And don't forget, alright?"

She nodded and grinned. "I won't forget."

The last she saw of him that day was his slight kind smile before he left and his broad back as he exited. Once the door was closed, and he was gone, Sakura sighed. "He really does confuse me, that demon boy. One minute he's sweet and kind, and the next he's pinning me to a wall and I'm questioning his sanity."

She remembered his kind smile and grinned, closing her eyes. Although she still doubted him, and believed he had ulterior motives to everything, she could still respect that he'd opened up to her. She felt like she'd made somewhat of a friend, even if he was psychotic and bipolar.

It was late into the hours of the night when she remembered he still hadn't exactly told her how he'd gotten inside her apartment in the first place.

* * *

Thanks for reading, guys! This one took extra effort, but as I promised, much more of Sakura's views were presented in this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it, and I'll prepare the next chapter and have it out hopefully before my leave to Italy. (Yes, I get to go somewhere fun this summer! :D)

See you in the next chapter guys!~


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